Selected Review
Tattoos & Piercings (or "Gee mom, look what I got on my summer vacation")
Wow. I really wasn’t quite prepared for the number of non-vampire related questions that I’ve received on tattoos & piercings since my photo was added to the Vampire Church gallery. I must say, there is not only quite a bit of interest out there in this topic but also quite a bit of misinformation surrounding it was well. Being the urban street mama type that I am, I figured I’d use this month’s website review to dole out a bit of advice on such and point folks to some of the more helpful websites that deal with such issues.
Do I have tattoos? Yup, several and piercings as well, some in rather interesting places. And you should know and consider two things BEFORE adding any such enhancements to your body. 1) Yes, it hurt like hell in all cases to get them. This is not for the weak of heart or for someone with a low pain threshold. 2) They are permanent. Meaning what you think is cool at 20, is a tattoo or piercing that you will be living with at 45 and beyond. So you better like it - there is no going back. Oh and yeah, one more thing, peoples names on your body...ALWAYS a bad idea.
http://www.cs.uu.nl/wais/html/na-dir/bodyart/piercing-faq/jewelry/partC.html
http://www.faqs.org/faqs/bodyart/tattoo-faq/part2/
http://www.faqs.org/faqs/bodyart/alternative-faq/
These sites are the grand daddies of tattoo, piercing and body art (scarification, etc.) information. They have been around since before the Internet had pictures; since Lollapalooza came and went. So when they talk - listen. While they are in a basic text format the information and advice here is all good. The draw back to these sites is that they are very un-user friendly. You will find no slick front-end graphics, no GUI’s, no examples of body art. What you will find is a virtual encyclopedia of tattoo, piercing and body art knowledge. They answer everything from the basic FAQ’s on what a novice should look for in choosing a shop, to what experiences they should expect. The information includes specifics on healing times for both tattoos and piercings (broken down by body location) and what you will feel and experience both during and after getting work done. For the tattoo or piercing artist, there is a lot of information here on various techniques, history, ink types and jewelry types for piercings. They also provide in depth discussions on health and safety issues and running a clean shop. Again, these are not easy, slick to read websites, but the information here more than makes up for any effort you’ll need to make - well worth it indeed.
Finally, the pictures. The websites listed here all give you oodles of pictures to look at and help you decide what type of tattoo or piecing you want as a unique mark on you body. Both provide plenty of photos to help you decide the style and location of your tattoo and/or piercing (yes, there are piercing styles). Additionally they both list basic information and have a basic list of shops in many areas. Keep in mind just because a shop has a listing here it is not an endorsement of their work. The only way to see the quality of the work is to visit the shop.
When you walk into a tattoo or body art shop you will be over whelmed by the amount of "flash" most have displayed on their walls. Flash is simply a term for standard, stock type art that makes up the bread and butter of most shops. Flash art, unlike custom art, has a set a piece price and at many shops can be done without making a prior appointment. Here again two pieces of advice....1) If you are going to have flash art added to your body have an idea of what you are looking for. Keep in mind that not all styles are done at all shops. Likewise, most shops will vary the stock flash a bit without increasing the price, but too many changes and it becomes custom work. Understand that there is a difference. 2) The art on the walls is not necessarily the same quality of art that the tattoo artist is capable of doing. Flash art is typically taken from industry standards and is not representative of an individual artist skills or abilities. Ask to see the artist’s book or tear sheets. This will show you specific examples of tattoos and piercings that the artist has done and you give you an exact idea of their level of skill. In looking at such too, you will find, as in other art forms, each artist has their own particular style. While one artist may be well versed in tribal another may be better at doing something of a more delicate, intricate nature. Looking at an artist’s book is the only way to see this for yourself. Also, there are currently a number of websites out there that for a price provide you with art to take to your local shop. These sites tend to tout this as a way of saving money on your tattoo. Don’t do this. It is an insult to the artists at your local shop. If you have something specific in mind, ask. The flash on the walls is just a starting place. I guarantee that the artists at the shop have many more design examples available for you to page through. If you want something in a particular style, say for instance Japanese, or a piece of custom work, talk with and work with the artist. This is their craft and they will be able to work with you in designing something unique to your tastes.
Now for the really cool pictures. Both of these guys are the state of the art when it comes to tattooing. It doesn’t get any better than this. Both honed their skills in bread & butter shops doing stock flash then went on to develop styles uniquely their own. That is where the similarities end.
The work of Shotsie Gorman is like that of your local tattoo shop on steroids. His delicate, traditional, well rendered, brilliantly colored designs and portraits are the best of the best when it comes to laying down ink. While his style is uniquely his own, it blends both elements of an eastern and western philosophy, merged with traditional American imagery. Your will find everything from incredible portraits to traditional Americana to intricate natural & geometric designs in his on-line portfolio. Enjoy.
Stepping into the dark sultry imagery of Paul Booth is a little like slipping in to a nightmare. Uniquely alone amongst tattoo artists, Paul’s work exorcises his personal spirits and demons in imagery suited to those with darksider taste. His fanciful, eerie, designs and renderings crack open that door to the world of the surreal, where thing go bump in the night. This is as good as it get folks! Enter this website and enjoy the ride.
Last but not least I have to include my favorite shop. These guys are everything a good tattoo parlor should be. Loud music on the stereo, a warm little cocoon of pain & ink employing four full-time artists - each with their own style and abilities. They provide a relaxing, comfortable, personal experience in unique surroundings. Located in Fells’ Point not far from the water, the shop itself also serves as a tattoo museum. Showing oodles of vintage flash and advertising on the walls and a collection vintage tattoo machines in the cases, you get an appreciation for the true art that goes into the craft of laying down ink. Take the on-line tour located on their website while contemplating your future ink work.
Until next month -
Veritatem dies aperit.
LA / nodecaf
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Reviewed by: LA / nodecaf